YouTube Video Helps Police Nab Convicted Felon
Weapons Possibly Used In Video Seized
POSTED: Wednesday, January 16, 2008
MIAMI -- The alleged gang leader who taunted Miami-Dade police in a video posted on YouTube is being held without bond.
Rudy Villanueva, who challenged police to "come get some" in the video was polite in court, responding,"Yes, ma'am" when he was questioned by a judge.
Villanueva and another alleged gang member, Anthony Logan, were arrested Tuesday night by federal agents just hours after news reports circulated of the YouTube video.
Villanueva was shown in the video with two weapons. He is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and Logan is charged with providing the weapons to a convicted felon.
"They can come at us if they want to," says 31-year-old Villanueva, aka "Bird Road Rudy." "Metro-Dade gang unit, here I am, baby."
The Metro-Dade Police Department was renamed the Miami-Dade Police Department after voters changed the name of the county from Dade to Miami-Dade.
"Takin' it to the next level, dog," says Villanueva. "Come get some whenever you're ready. Come get some. Yeah, baby!"
U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta said at an afternoon news conference that "Villanueva said, 'Come get me' and we did."
Investigators said federal agents seized a number of weapons including an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle and a Mossburg shotgun that appear to be the weapons shown in the video.
Villanueva has been arrested at least 20 times on charges including auto theft, assault, drugs and weapons.
The video was removed from YouTube shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, less than two hours after Local 10 first reported the story on its noon newscast.
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